ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery)Word Knowledge (WK)Hard
A technician found the old machinery to be quite <b>dilatory</b> in its operations, causing significant delays in production.
- AEfficient
- BExpeditious
- CPunctual
- DSluggish
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: D. Sluggish
Dilatory means slow to act or intended to cause delay. In the context of machinery causing delays, 'sluggish' (slow-moving or inactive) is the best synonym, accurately describing the machine's slow and delaying operations.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Efficient means achieving maximum productivity with minimum wasted effort, which is an antonym.
- B. Expeditious means done with speed and efficiency, which is an antonym.
- C. Punctual means arriving or doing something at the expected or correct time, not directly related to speed of operation.
Dilatory
Slow to act; intended to cause delay.
- Can describe a person or a process/thing.
- Implies procrastination or intentional slowing.
- Often has a negative connotation due to delays.
Memory trick: Dilatory means 'delay-tory'.